(Der) Marsch zum Führer / The March to the Fuehrer (Germany, 1940)


Figure 1.--"Der Marsch zum Führer was a chillingly effective NAZI propaganda film. It was short as a NAZI proaganda film. HJ boys from all areas of the Reich coming to Nuremberg for the HJ rally. This was not a costumed film. Nor were the boys given special uniforms for the film. The film shows the boys in their actual uniforms. Notice the HJ arm band. Also note the cord leading to a whistle in his pocket--identifying him as a HJ leader.

Der Marsch zum Fuehrer ("The March to the Führer")was made in 1940. Der Marsch is about an hour long and films actual Hitler Youth boys from all over the Greater Reich marching toward Nuremberg for the annual Party Day Rally. Every summer thousands of Hitler Youth marched from their home towns to along countless German roads converging en mass at Nuremberg to participate in the annual Nazi Party Congress. Goebells in 1940 had this film made commemorating the Hitler Youth (HJ) participation in the annual event. The boys are pictured in their columns as they march through the mountains, forests, fields and towns of the Reich, still untouched by the War. The film clips for the groups are brief. Camping, singing, and marching along the way are given a bit more time. One segment of the film shows an HJ member having supper with a host family at one stop along the way; the family members ask questions which allow the young man to tell the audience about the HJ and the march. The film's climax is the rally, featuring speeches of Hiler and Baldur von Schirach, the head of the HJ. NAZI party rallies were held in many locations and at different times of the year. The highpoint of the year for NAZI stalwarts and older Hitler Youth was the annual party rally at Nuremburg. The national HJ pilgrimage is climaxed by the elaborate ceremonies and pagenantry of the Nuremberg Congress. The boys parade before their Führer and are addressed by NAZI potentates such as youth leader Baldur von Shirach, Rudolf Hess, and of course Hitler himself. Behind the now chilling pageantry of this film and the all to notable discipline of its participants is shown the cleverness of NAZI leaders in preparing German youth, both physically and psychologically, for war.

Filmology

Der Marsch is about an hour long and films actual Hitler Youth boys from all over the Greater Reich marching toward Nuremberg for the annual Party Day Rally. Goebells in 1940 had this film made commemorating the Hitler Youth (HJ) participation in the annual event. This film was made as a documentary film and is a classic example of a propaganda film. The boys are shown at home and then converging in larger and larger groups as they move toward Nuremberg. The images are carefully combined with marching boots. The impact is how committed young people were combining force to support the Führer in a great nation enterprise.

Leni Riefenstahl

This movie wa another film directed by Leni Riefenstahl, who died in 2003 at age 101. She was undoubtedly an outstanding filmmaker. Her film "Olympia" about the Olympic Games in Berlin 1936 is one of the best sports films ever made. Also her propaganda films like "Der Marsch zum Führer" were the best in this field. Of course she will be ever linked with Hitler and the NAZIs. A Dutch reader writes, "I think that she should have gotten an Oscar for her work. They did mention her name in 2004 at the Oscar awards ceremony together with other people in the movies who had passed away. But that was as far as Hollywood wanted to go in recognition of her achievements. I have seen "Der Marsch zum Führer". I had the impression that it was made before WWII, perhaps in 1937-38? I agree with your commentary." Here our reader raises some interesting issues. How do you evaluate a brilliant film maker (or for that matter artist, writer, scientist, and others, and for that matter military commanders) who promoted an evil system. While it is true that there was no directly blood on her hands, it is also true that she help legitmize and strengthen perhaps the most evil regime in modetn history. I am not sure just what she knew and when, but my understanding is that she never rejected Hitler and the NAZIs. This requires further research. Another important issue raised is an element of the NAZI era that is not poorly understood. Many of the Hitler Youth boys were extremely idealistic. They were a better Germany and a better world. These were for the most part not boys who dreamed of killing Jews ans Slavs. It was Hitler and the NAZIs who took their idealism and used it for evil purposes. Riefenstahl's films brilliantly captures their commitment to Germany anf the Führer. The great tragedy is that the boys did not know at the time how their commitment and devotion would be used.

Chronology

Der Marsch zum Fuehrer ("The March to the Führer") was made in 1940. It was made in the summer after the great victory in France. Thus public enthusiasm for Hitler and the NAZIs was at its peak. This was no doubt reflected in the HJ boys depicted in the film. Hitler and the NAZIs had delivered stunning victories at minimal cost. For these boys, Germany's future seemed limitless.

NAZI Party Rllies


Subject

This film was made as a NAZI documentary film. Every summer thousands of Hitler Youth marched from their home towns to along countless German roads converging en mass at Nuremberg to participate in the annual Nazi Party Congress. The boys are pictured in their columns as they march through the mountains, forests, fields and towns of the Reich, still untouched by the War. The film clips for the groups are brief. Camping, singing, and marching along the way are given a bit more time. One segment of the film shows an HJ member having supper with a host family at one stop along the way; the family members ask questions which allow the young man to tell the audience about the HJ and the march. The film's climax is the Party Rally in Nuremburg. NAZI party rallies were held in many locations and at different times of the year. The highpoint of the year for NAZI stalwarts and older Hitler Youth was the annual party rally at Nuremberg. The national HJ pilgrimage is climaxed by the elaborate ceremonies and pagenantry of the Nuremberg Congress. The boys parade before their Führer and are addressed by NAZI potentates such as youth leader Baldur von Shirach (HJ leader) , Rudolf Hess (Deputy Führer), and of course Hitler himself. Behind the now chilling pageantry of this film and the all to notable discipline of its participants is shown the cleverness of NAZI leaders in preparing German youth, both physically and psychologically, for war.

Hitler Youth

The NAZIs only a few weeks after Hitler's appointment as Chancellor seized control of the German Youth Ministry. Some youth groups were banned, others were folded into the Hitler Youth movement. The Hitler Youth grew into perhaps the most chillingly effective youth movement ever. There were two groups for boys. The boys pictured here are mostly the older HJ boys 14 years and older. The younger boys were organized into the Deutches Jugend (DJ). The boys involved in a major effort like marching all the way to Nuremberg were the HJ boys.

Bund Deutscher Mädel (BDM)

The Hitler Youth Organization was made up of both the male and female units. The Bund Deutscher Mädel (BDM) was the girls' division. Notably the film here deals almost exclusively with the HJ boys. This reflects the general attitude of the NAZIs. The pimary interest in youth was with the boys. The BDM was organized several years after the initial HJ organization. The BDM units were separate from the boys and had a very different program.

Uniforms

"Der Marsch zum Fuehrer" is documentary footage of HJ boys from all areas of the Reich coming to Nuremberg for the HJ rally. This was not a costumed film. Nor were the boys given special uniforms for the film. The film shows the boys in their actual uniforms. For some shots, the film maker may have made sure the boys combed their hair and straightened out their uniforms to look good in the footage, but they are all actual HJ boys and actual HJ uniforms.








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Created: 7:17 PM 6/14/2005
Last updated: 9:53 PM 6/15/2005